#
|
Simplified Question Stems
|
| 1. |
The best movie showing in
the US right now is Mission Ridiculous, Part XXIV--it
has been in the #1 position for three weeks.
We
could show that a popular movie is not necessarily
a good movie. In other words, just because it's popular
doesn't mean it's good.
We
could show that a popular movie is always a good movie.
In other words, there is a direct relationship between
popularity and quality (probably not true in this
case).
|
| 2. |
All mammals have hair. Therefore,
elephants have hair.
An
elephant is a mammal.
|
| 3. |
Lucy Magic has recently suggested
that all people should go to school for at least 14
years. However, this argument is clearly wrong since
Lucy Magic only went to school for four years.
Lucy
Magic's personal background is not related
to her suggestion.
Lucy
Magic's personal background is related to her
suggestion.
|
| 4. |
To raise your test scores,
you should study and practice the test a lot. However,
Mike Magic used this strategy and he did not get the
score that he wanted. Therefore, this strategy is not
helpful.
Mike
Magic's results will not be the same as the
results of other people.
Mike
Magic's results will be the same as the results
of other people.
|
| 5. |
It is a commonly known fact
that most people do not pay for street parking for all
the time that they are parked--how many times have you
walked down the street and seen cars parked with expired
meters? We can therefore conclude that the system of
using parking meters is useless.
Essentially
less than 100% does not equal 0%; in other words,
just because a parking meter is not 100% effective,
it doesn't mean that it is 0% effective.
We
would have to show that somehow we need to have 100%
efficiency in order for something to be useful.
|
| 6. |
Frozen water is less dense
than liquid water. Therefore, frozen water will float
in liquid water.
If
we have two things and we put them together, the thing
that is less dense will float in the thing that is
more dense.
|
| 7. |
President Magic has recently
suggested adding fluoride to all public water sources.
This is obviously a bad idea since many of the former
communist countries also added fluoride to all their
public water sources.
Again,
the background of the former communist countries has
no relationship with how well the plan will
work.
Again,
the background of the former communist countries does
have a relationship with how well the plan will work.
|
| 8. |
Two hours ago I had a splitting
headache, so I took six Maqikol tablets. I still have
a headache. Therefore, Magikol is a useless medicine.
This
one is similar to #4. Essentially, the result in this
case might not be the result in another case.
Essentially,
the result in this case will be the result
in another case.
|
| 9. |
In an attempt to increase
sales, Magic Co, Ltd. implemented a new customer service
policy that required all sales representatives to address
all prospective clients by name. Within six months,
sales had risen 15%. The new policy was therefore a
success.
We
would have to show that the new policies in fact had
no effect on the sales. We could do this by showing
another cause. For example, we could show that a new
office building opened nearby and there were many
more prospective customers.
We
would have to show that there was no other reason
for sales to increase; in other words, nothing else
changed, and the only possible cause is that the new
policy was effective.
|
| 10. |
It is obvious that Einstein
could not have formulated the theory of relativity.
It is a common fact that Einstein did not receive a
passing grade in math class as a child.
People
who fail math class cannot formulate this kind of
theory.
We
should show that failing a class does not necessarily
mean that a person could not make a new theory.
We
should show that a person cannot make a new theory
if s/he cannot pass math class.
|
